Just seen this, and was reminded of a genuine police issue we had many years ago, where my wife’s car was reported for a parking offence on private ground in some far-flung place we’d never been to.
So I went along to the local police station, explained this, and that the car was a white audi convertible, not the red hatchback that was reported, and that we could both prove we were giving ski lessons in Engelberg on that date, and heard nothing more about it. Actually, that’s not true, I think we got a letter saying that no action would be taken or some such.
What annoyed me at the time that the police obviously had access to the records and should have seen the obvious mismatch between the car and the number reported, but they still stressed us out and made me go in to explain. Why didn’t they just dismiss it immediately?
So it’s important not to dismiss these things out of hand, although this one was obvious from the email address, I realise,.
The problem is that the cheapskates who run the cafeteria did not give the cafeteria employee a smartphone that showed the details of who paid.
Relying on the customer to show their payment receipt is an invitation for fraud.
A worse example is where the crims substitute their QR code on parking payment machines. The victim scans, pays, walks away happy, then receives a parking fine in the post a couple of weeks later.
And how’s that different from today or even yesterday? Moneky See, Monkey Learn, Monkey Do …
Has it not pretty much always been like this?
I have no issues with kids trying to push boundaries and get into trouble. As long as they pay a consequential price for their actions and are also taught the lesson and learnings from the lesson, then kids will be kids.
Report: Received a High-Pressure Extortion Scam Email
[edited by Phil_MCR to remove scam email and bitcoin address and replace with description below. Let’s not include verbatim scam messages as it can have site flagged as a scam site itself]
I recently received a deceptive and threatening email that appears to be a sophisticated scam targeting personal data and privacy. The sender claims to have gained unauthorized access to my devices — including browsing history, personal files, and contact lists — by exploiting websites I’ve visited.
The message includes fabricated claims that the sender has captured private video or screenshots of me in sensitive moments, and threatens to publicly release this information on social media and to my contacts if I do not comply.
The sender demands payment (in cryptocurrency) under a strict deadline — in this case, 40 hours — and includes a fake wallet address (redacted for security). They claim to delete all data if paid, but the tone is manipulative, threatening, and designed to provoke fear and urgency.
The language is riddled with grammatical errors and intentionally obfuscated text — common indicators of phishing or scam campaigns. The sender also includes a warning not to leave devices unattended, which is a classic psychological tactic to increase the victim’s sense of vulnerability.
This is not a legitimate communication. Do not respond, do not send money, and do not click any links. If you receive a similar message, report it immediately to your email provider or cybersecurity team.
Finally got one of those silly “I’ve gained access to your machine” e-mails this morning. Husband gets them fairly regularly, but this is the first one I’ve had.
Received a Suspicious & High-Pressure Scam Email
[edited by Phil_MCR to remove scam email and bitcoin address and replace with description below. Let’s not include verbatim scam messages as it can have site flagged as a scam site itself]
I recently received a deceptive and threatening email that appears to be a sophisticated extortion attempt. The sender claims to have gained unauthorized access to my devices, including browsing history, personal files, and even installed a backdoor on my phone — allegedly to record private video content. The message includes fabricated claims about intimate or embarrassing footage, intended to provoke panic and guilt.
The email demands payment (in cryptocurrency) under a time-sensitive deadline, referencing my age as the window for response. It includes a fake wallet address (which has been redacted for security) and threatens to publicly expose my private data on social media and to friends if I do not comply.
The language is riddled with grammatical errors, intentional misspellings, and obfuscated text — all hallmarks of a phishing or scam campaign. The overall tone is manipulative, urgent, and designed to coerce a victim into paying money under threat.
I strongly advise others to be vigilant: do not respond, do not send money, and do not click any links. If you receive a similar message, report it immediately to your email provider or cybersecurity team.
Nooooooo, Notepad++ v8.8.9 is compromised. my favorite text editor
From June to September 2025:
According to the analysis provided by the security experts, the attack involved infrastructure-level compromise that allowed malicious actors to intercept and redirect update traffic destined for notepad-plus-plus.org. The exact technical mechanism remains under investigation, though the compromise occurred at the hosting provider level rather than through vulnerabilities in Notepad++ code itself. Traffic from certain targeted users was selectively redirected to attacker-controlled malicious update manifests.
The incident began in June 2025. Multiple independent security researchers have assessed that the threat actor is likely a Chinese state-sponsored group, which would explain the highly selective targeting observed during the campaign.
